Xavier Becerra won the race for governor of California on Tuesday night, becoming the first Latino the state's voters have ever chosen for its top office. The Democrat beat Republican Steve Hilton, a former television host, by a wide margin and will succeed Gov. Gavin Newsom, who could not run again.

Only one Latino has led California before. Romualdo Pacheco stepped into the job in 1875 when the sitting governor left for the U.S. Senate, so he was never elected to the post. Becerra's win closes a gap of more than 150 years in a state where over 40 percent of residents are Latino.

Becerra, 68, is the son of Mexican immigrants. His father worked on farms and construction crews. His mother held a clerical job. He grew up with three sisters in a tiny house in working-class Sacramento before going on to Stanford.

A long record of public service

He spent more than 25 years in Congress before serving as California attorney general and then as health secretary in Washington. He told supporters on election night that he did not run to make history but to make a difference for every Californian, whether they backed him or not.

His campaign started slowly and he trailed for months in a crowded field. He climbed to the top of the June primary after a leading rival dropped out and finished first, setting up a November contest that he led for most of the fall.

The work ahead

Becerra has promised to declare a housing emergency and speed up construction. He also wants to protect health coverage for families and bring more film production back to the state. He will inherit high unemployment, wildfire risk and a tense relationship with federal immigration agents.

His win also marks a new moment for Latino leadership in Sacramento. For the first time, the governor, the Assembly speaker and the state Senate leader who write the budget all come from working-class immigrant families.